The second annual Central Valley Conference for Promotores(as) from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Saturday, March 26, at Fresno State will bring together about 300 community promotores – Spanish for health care workers – to learn about health issues impacting Valley residents and to network with other health care professionals.
The conference, themed “Towards a Healthy and Dignified Life,” convenes in the University Dining Hall with workshops taking place throughout the day in the Family and Food Sciences Building.
It is hosted by Fresno State’s Department of Public Health in partnership with two community organizations: CalViva Health, which provides health care access for families in Fresno, Kings, and Madera County; and Vision y Compromiso, which promotes community well-being via promotores.
Dr. Miguel Perez, professor in the Department of Public Health, said promotores work with their respective communities to raise awareness of such health issues as diabetes prevention and management, cardiovascular disease and cancer which impact the morbidity and mortality of populations in the Central Valley.
“The Central Valley is a medically underserved area and there continues to be barriers to health care that include language, lack of familiarity with the health care system and cultural issues,” Perez said.
“Promotores(as) play a fundamental role in breaching access to health care for some disenfranchised communities in the Valley. Because of their role, it is important that they are as up-to-date as possible with the latest information that effects the health status of the community.”
Tony Gonzalez, health promotion specialist with CalViva Health, said the collaboration with the University’s Public Health Department has been instrumental in bringing the community health workers conference to the Central Valley.
“Conference participants will be able to build on their capacity to inform and link families to local resources,” Gonzalez said.
For more information, contact Perez at 559.278.2897 (mperez@csufresno.edu) or Gonzalez at 559.447.6138 (Jose.A.Gonzalez@healthnet.com).
